1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a combined hat and earphones device wherein a conventional, flexible hat has integrally attached thereto a pair of earphones for a portable radio or cassette player. More particularly, the present invention pertains to such a combined device wherein a conventional, flexible hat, such as a knitted ski cap, has a set of earphones integrally and unnoticeably combined therewith.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
There are known devices which combine head or ear protecting members with earphones. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,803 discloses a rigid football or motorcycle helmet having earphones embedded in the inner cushioning pad of the helmet, while U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,654,898 and 4,669,129 disclose earmuff attachment members adapted to be fastened over the earphones of a conventional headphone set including a headband.
In one embodiment (FIG. 5) of the combined helmet/earphone device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,803 the earphones are embedded in the inner cushioning pad of the helmet, while wires leading from the headphones terminate together in an electrical connection plug fixed to a rear lower portion of the helmet shell. In use, the headphones would be connected to a radio located externally, such as on a motorcycle, through a wired jack which plugs into/onto the connecting plug. One drawback of this combined device is that its specific construction is limited to helmet-type devices having a hard outer shell and an inner padding layer. Another drawback is that the electrical connecting plug must be conspicuously located on an outer surface of the helmet so that the wire jack can be properly connected thereto without causing discomfort to a person wearing the helmet.
On the other hand, the headset devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,654,898 and 4,669,129 only provide cold-weather protection for a person's ears, and are otherwise very conspicuous because the headband and wires of the headset are not covered by the removable earmuff covers.
Thus, there remains in the art a need for a device which comfortably and inconspicuously combines earphones with conventional, flexible hat.